If you’re trying to shed a few pounds, chances are you’ve considered increasing your protein intake as a means of doing so. For those who aren’t sold on the idea of loading their diet with eggs, meat, and cheese, incorporating some protein powder into your everyday routine is a quick and easy way to boost your protein intake without spending hours cooking.

However, with so many types of protein powder on the market—and with many varieties being high in calories, sugar, and other weight loss-hindering additives—it’s not always easy to determine the best protein powder for your weight loss goals.

What’s the best protein powder for weight loss?

Mackenzie Burgess, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and recipe developer at Cheerful Choices, says there’s one particular protein powder that stands out in terms of its nutritional benefits: Naked Nutrition Whey Protein.

Per 2 scoops (30 g): 120 calories, 2 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 45 mg sodium, 3 g carbs (0 g fiber, 2 g sugar), 25 g protein

“One of my favorite protein powders to use is Naked Nutrition Whey Protein. I love how this powder contains just one ingredient–grass-fed whey protein concentrate–and packs in 25 grams of protein per serving,” Burgess explains. “Research shows that consuming around 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal helps increase satiety and fullness, which can be beneficial for weight loss,” Burgess adds, citing 2015 research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

RELATED: 10 Best Protein Powders For Weight Loss, According To RDs

Is protein powder effective for weight loss?

Whey protein, in particular, may be beneficial for weight loss, research has found. According to a study published in Nutrition & Metabolism, individuals who cut their caloric intake by 500 calories a day and consumed a whey protein drink before breakfast and dinner lost significantly more weight than those who cut the same number of calories but drank a placebo beverage.

How can protein powder be used?

Fortunately, you don’t have to limit yourself to just making protein shakes with your whey powder—there’s a long list of healthy treats you can add this filling ingredient to.

“When making smoothies, pancakes, or energy bites, consider adding a scoop of protein powder into the mix,” recommends Burgess.

For more insight into how adding protein powder can benefit your health, check out What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Whey Protein Powder, and for more weight loss tips delivered to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter!

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I’m sure many of you are aware of the elite class of foods known as superfoods. They’re the superheroes of the food world, packed with a nutritional punch and capable of fighting off many a malady. Basically they’re really, really, really good for us. But the thing is, we’re told to eat so many different healthy foods that, well I don’t know about you lot, but it can start to get a bit overwhelming right? After all there’s only so many eating hours in the day, so how on earth are we meant to ensure we get a decent mix of all the superfoods we need, as well as eating some of the other foods we love too?

This is where superfood powder blends come in. You see, all of the hard work has already been done for you, and all you need to do is add a spoonful or two to a smoothie or mixed into your porridge etc. and you’ve powered up your food in an instant.

In this article we’re going to take a look at some of the powerful ingredients you can find in Healthxcel Superfood Powders and focus specifically on how these superfoods can help with our mental health.

Let’s take a look at the superhero ingredients of superfood powder blends in more detail:

Ashwagandha

This small evergreen shrub that grows in India, the Middle East, and some parts of Africa has long been used in traditional herbal medicine. It is classified as an adaptogen – a natural substance that helps the body to adapt to physical, chemical and biological stress. Not only is it incredibly good for our physical health, but it also provides numerous benefits to our mental health too, which is why it is arguably one of the most powerful superfoods out there.

Scientific studies have shown Ashwagandha can:

• Improve brain function.
• Encourage healthy levels of cortisol.
• Lower anxiety levels.
• Fight symptoms of depression.
• Promote a feeling of calm.
• Energise.
• Stabilise moods.

But why is that?

Ashwagandha contains an abundance of antioxidants, iron and amino acids, which as a combination are a winning formula for the human body. We need antioxidants to help fight against any free radicals we are exposed to, iron to help oxygenate our bodies, and amino acids… well amino acids do all kinds of awesome stuff for us, including helping with: fertility, immunity, digestion, and mental alertness to name but a mere few.

Sounds near on perfect. However, Ashwagandha really doesn’t taste nice. It has a very distinct bitter taste to it, which is why it is best consumed in powder form and ideally as part of various superfood powder blends to disguise the taste, but to still gain all of the benefits from this powerful herbal pharmaceutical.

Reishi Mushrooms

Reishi mushrooms have been traditionally used to help with sleep issues, and we all know how important sleep is for good mental health. Taoist monks used it to reduce stress, calm the mind and to transform negative energy in the body, and we are still using these power fungi for the same reasons today.

The impact of stress can be felt throughout the entire human body and can be the cause of many an issue. When we feel stressed, our nervous systems send out an SOS message to the brain, which responds by instructing the adrenal glands to start stimulating the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol. Too much cortisol isn’t good for us, it can lead to rapid weight gain, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, and mood swings. And the problem is that when we are stressed we often turn to things that make these problems worse – we binge on junk food, drink more alcohol, get less sleep, and feel less motivated to exercise.

Incorporating superfood blend powders that contain Reishi mushrooms will help to ease these feelings of stress, help to calm our minds, as well as make us feel centred and grounded as though we’ve got a grip on things.

Spirulina

Spirulina is a bluey-green algae and is a type of cyanobacteria, which is a family of single-celled microbes. It is thought to be one of the oldest life forms on Earth and was first used by the Aztecs who used it to help boost their endurance levels – they believed it helped them to run for longer.

Like Ashwagandha, spirulina has a bitter taste, so you are most likely to find it in powdered form which can then be added to smoothies, yogurts etc. to disguise the taste. It does however add an amazing vibrancy to food, as its strong colour helps dye liquids such as smoothies and you can create some awesome food art pics to share on your Instagram.

Spirulina is mostly known for its physical benefits, however recent studies have shown that it could also be good for our mental health too. I mentioned the importance of amino acids earlier, and it turns out spirulina is a good source of tryptophan; the amino acid that supports serotonin. Now, serotonin if you haven’t heard of it before, is basically the body’s happy hormone. We produce it when we exercise, when we expose ourselves to natural light, but mostly we get tryptophan from the food we eat which is then converted to serotonin. People who have depression or who suffer with anxiety may have reduced levels of serotonin and so complimenting the diet with spirulina could help to alleviate this.

Moringa

Moringa is a plant native to India that is known for its antifungal, antiviral, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Just a handful of moringa leaves contain seven times the amount of vitamin C in an orange, four times the amount of calcium in a glass of milk and three times the amount of potassium contained in one banana.

It is also a rich source of protein and contains 15 amino acids, including tryptophan which we now know helps bring on those happy hormones. Like all good superfoods, it tastes bitter and can also sometimes have a horseradish like heat to it (in fact the moringa plant is sometimes referred to as the horseradish tree). It is mostly found in powdered form either on its own or as a combined ingredient in superfood powder blends, but can also be found in tea and of course in supplement form.

Moringa is thought to help relieve chronic headaches, combat low energy and fatigue, as well as controlling mood swings and helping against insomnia.

All of these natural superfoods are amazing in their own right, but just imagine how much more powerful they become when they are mixed together in the ultimate superfood powder blends! Convenient, easy, and most importantly natural. If you’re looking for a way to up your nutritional game and improve your mental health without it becoming a massive burden and taking up time you quite frankly don’t have, then superfood powder blends could be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

*collaborative post

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